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The European Trail Orienteering Championships kicked off today with a 1.3 km long course with 20 controls and 2 timed controls. Before the second and final day, nine competitors in the open class and one in the paralympic class have full points. The second day will be decisive for both classes. Should two or more competitors end up with same points at the end, it will be the time from the timed controls that decides the winner.

Sweden’s Marit Wiksell leads the open class with 22 points, time 13 seconds, before Ivo Tisljar, Croatia (22 points, 16 seconds) and Jens Andersson and Martin Fredholm, Sweden (both 22 points, 19 seconds). Defending European Champion, Hannu Niemi, Finland, is currently fifth. The Swedes are also strong in the paralympic class, where the leader is Ola Jansson (22 points, 46.5 seconds). Norway’s Knut Terje Ovesen is second and again Sweden’s Rolf Karlsson on third place before tomorrow’s competition.

Sunday’s competition is at the same time the World Trail Orienteering Team Championship, where the team competitors’ points and times are counted together. Teams comprise of three competitors, of which at least one from open and one from paralympic class.

Before today’s Trail Orienteering event there was an inofficial European TempO Trophy organised on Friday. TempO is a sprint format of TrailO with only timed controls, which will be an official format at next year’s World Trail Orienteering Championships in Vuokatti, Finland. The European Tempo Trophy 2012 winner was Stig Gerdtman, Sweden, before Martin Jullum, Norway and Lauri Kontkanen, Finland.